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Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Liquor bill to put kibosh on CW Beer Festival

Sen. Valentine, R-Orem, cites public safety as reason his bill would prohibit “unlimited” alcohol service for a special event, like City Weekly’s Utah Beer Festival.---

Valentines Senate Bill 314 which passed a senate Business and Labor panel today would change various provisions in Utah liquor law, ranging from new liquor license categories, license quotas, service hours and conflict of interest provisions for member of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Valentine confirmed the bill would also prohibit events that offer “unlimited” beer or alcohol sales for a set time period, such as the Utah Beer Festival, City Weekly hosted in downtown Salt Lake City in September 2010.

“Overconsumption is the issue,” Valentine says. “And we’re having more problems coming in with public safety on the beer festival.”

The event drew an estimated 3,200 patrons downtown who were able to pay a flat fee for a 3 ounce cup they could use for unlimited samples of beers offered by 13 local breweries. If the legislation passes a future beer festival may have to switch to a token system, where patrons buy tokens for individual beers. (Note: This post has been updated to correct the number of festival attendees and participating brewers and to clarify City Weekly's role in organizing the event.)